1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method and a recording medium. In particular, the present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which sets a trimming region wherein a facial region corresponding to a face of a person in an original image is positioned at an appropriate position with an appropriate size ratio, an image processing method which can apply to the image processing apparatus, and a recording medium in which a program for functioning a computer as the image processing apparatus is recorded.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, there are many opportunities for attaching or submitting a photograph (for identification) with a person's face thereon having a predetermined size, e.g., in cases of applying an issue of a passport or a driver's license or of making a person's personal history. Thus, devices for automatically preparing ID photo have been conventionally utilized in which a photobooth for shooting a user is provided, a user sitting on a chair within the photobooth is shot, and a single photosheet with a plurality of images of the user for ID photo recorded thereon is automatically prepared.
The size of ID photos can vary depending on for what the ID photo is used. For example, a size of the ID photo for passports is 35 mm×45 mm, and a size of the ID photo for general use is 30 mm×40 mm. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 9-27897 proposes that cut marks are recorded on an ID photo sheet in order to cut an ID photo with a desired size from the identification sheet in the above-described device. However, as apparent from FIG. 1 of JP-A No. 9-27897, there are drawbacks that the device for automatically preparing an ID photo is extremely large and places the device is to be disposed are limited. Further, there is a problem that in order for a user to obtain an ID photo, a user has to look for a place that the device for automatically preparing ID photos is disposed, and a user has to go to the found place, which places a burden on the user.
Recently, there has been generally used an image processing system in which various image processings are effected for image data obtained by reading film images recorded on a photographic film or image data inputted from a digital camera or the like, and then images are recorded on a recording material such as a photographic printing paper or the like, or images can be outputted from other output devices. (e.g., image data is stored in an information recording medium such as a smart media or the like.)
As a technology which can be applied to such type of the image processing system, JP-A No. 11-341272 has proposed that a series of processings are effected automatically that when two positions (positions of top-of-head and of chin) of a face in a displayed image is designated with an image for preparing an ID photo (image with a person's face shot thereon) being displayed on a display device, a computer computes an enlargement/reduction ratio of the face and the position of the face based on the designated two positions, the enlarged/reduced image is subjected to trimming such that the enlarged/reduced face in the image is positioned at a predetermined position in a screen of the ID photo, and then an image for the ID photo is formed.
In accordance with the above-described technology, a user can ask for preparation of an ID photo to DPE shops which exist more than devices for automatically preparing ID photo. Further, if a user brings, among photographs that a user possesses, a photographic film or an information recording medium with photographs that a user likes because of being well taken recorded therein to a DPE shop, an ID photo can be prepared from the photographs that the user prefers.
However, in the technology disclosed in JP-A No. 11-341272, an operator must effect a complicated operation of designating the positions of top-of-head point and of chin in the original image displayed on the display device. Thus, there is a problem that a large amount of burden is placed on an operator when ID photos of a large number of users are prepared successively. When an area corresponding to the face of the person in the displayed image is extremely small, or when resolution of an image is rough, it is difficult for an operator to designate the positions of the top-of-head point and of the chin rapidly and accurately, which hinder rapid preparation of ID photos.